Karangahake Gorge

“You can never tire of the beauty of this gorge as it winds itself high into the sky, seducing you with its aromatic greenery and its rushing river.” - Jodie

THE WEST END OF THE KARANGAHAKE GORGE

“My nephew pedals behind the safety of his here is a large carpark at this end of the dad”, Jodie writes of their traverse of the 1.1km Gorge, with plentiful signs, toilets, rest areas, T railway tunnel near the Karangahake carpark. and bridges over the river. “Lots of train hoots are initiated by everyone and Here one can experience a 1.1km tunnel (lined the echos are fabulous! with a million bricks), the 2.5km ‘Window Walk’ Once through the tunnel we all disembark down loop with its tunnel (with various side openings by the river. The children happily throw pebbles and dark stretches where you will need a into the river while we laze in the sunshine.” torch), crumbling foundations of the stamping batteries, iron relics and of course the rivers. Rail Trail bikers or walkers can loop around several trails near the carpark, or travel east on the Karangahake Gorge Historic Walkway, The Window a 3-hour trek along the Ohinemuri River to the Walk track Owharoa Falls and the Victoria Battery ruins. Very near the Karangahake Gorge carpark,

Photos by Jodie Tunnicliffe you will find several choices for casual and The Window Walk leads to tunnels with window fine dining, accommodation, or a tour of openings, allowing vistas such as the one in the Ohinemuri Winery. Up for more goldfield feature photo above. Don’t forget to bring your adventures? Drive east on SH2 to the Waikino torch for the darker sections. Station / Victoria Battery carpark ...

...continued from previous page favourite for the littlies with its goldfields of the Karangahake Gorge and Waihi. In those days, this cuddly farm animals, a small was about as far inland as a transport boat could reach with any ease; museum, bumpity-curve bike people, goods and extremely heavy mining equipment had to go over paths, and a nature walk. tracks on horseback or by wagon, some pulled by as many as 16 Continuing east on SH2 is horses. Nevertheless, with much difficulty and many investors, mining Karangahake, the location of companies built their enormous mines and stampers at Karangahake, one of the major Hauraki Rail Trail access points into the stunning Gorge. Waikino, Waihi and Waitekauri. The present residential area (before the Gorge carpark) is reached over a Past Mackaytown is Rahu Road. It too began as a goldfields horse track, bridge. Be sure to visit Jacquie Ellis, our cover artist, at her studio/gallery but today, it leads to the delightful Bullswool Farm and Nature Park, a located in the area. (See more page 6).

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6 7 1. Rahu Road 6. Talisman & Woodstock 2. Cover Artist Jacquie Ellis Gallery 7. Windows Walk 3. Places to eat, winery 8. Owharoa Falls 4. Carpark to the Gorge 9. Victoria Battery Ruins 5. Crown Battery Ruins 10. Waikino Station Cafe, Train